Around The Corner
by Specificitydarling
Summary: Tina and Artie first meet. Inspired by the finale and set during the pilot. Baby spoilers for the finale and "Wheels", I guess.


Okay, I know I'm currently working on _Be Close To Me_, but I was rewatching the finale (!) and this popped into my head when** [SPOILERS] **Tina said she used to only have 2 facebook friends, made me think maybe she wasn't friends with Artie before Glee.. Which made me think of how they met and thus ... this happened.

Hope you like it, I'm gonna go back to BCTM now :)

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Tina dragged her heavy, combat-boot-clad feet along the floor. The bell had rung and most of the students were trying their best to get out of the building whereas she was going further and further into it. She didn't even know her school had a choir room, let alone a Glee club. But she saw the poster in the cafeteria, and thought why not at least audition. All she had to do was go and sing, and she wasn't too bad at that.

She turned the corner and saw a boy in a wheelchair in front of the signup sheet. He was trying to reach the pen attached to the sheet, but it had been mounted way too high for him. She watched him for a moment, recognising him from around school. And she was pretty sure he'd been in one of her classes. He was the definition of nerd, really. With his glasses and suspenders and grandpa sweater she would've laughed, if she didn't feel so sad for him.

Taking a couple more steps, she cleared her throat and he turned around quickly, turning red at being caught struggling. She guessed he was someone who didn't want much help, much attention. She knew what that was like.

"D-d-do you w-want s-s-s-ome help?" she asked.

He looked up at her, not reacting at all to her stutter. Not like other people did when they first met her. No one, well, nearly no one, was really rude about it. But it was obvious than they noticed. This guy, it was as if she just spoke normally. Finally he nodded, "Thanks. I can't -"

She just smiled, telling him he didn't have to finish. Picking up the pen she glanced down at him, "What's your name?"

"Artie. Artie Abrams." He said and she scribbled it down. It would be another couple of weeks before she realised she had spelled it wrong.

Underneath his, she went to write her own name. "I like your hat," he blurted out and she faltered, her pen stuttering like her voice until she saw she had written Tina with four Ts.

"T-Thank you," She looked down at him and saw him blush furiously, until he saw her name and the look changed to one of curiosity.

"I-it's a j-joke," she said, half-smiling and he laughed. She was pretty sure it wasn't that funny, but she'd never really had people laugh at her jokes before.

"Are you going to the car park?" he asked, and she nodded. "Let me walk you."

She held back a laugh and nodded again, walking beside him. He made the wheelchair look so easy. It was as if he was actually walking next to her, except he was much shorter.

"Y-you like t-to s-s-sing?" she asked, the stuttering came naturally now, she didn't even think about it. Anxiety related speech disorder, her family therapist called it. It wasn't really the case, but she'd take it.

He nodded, his eyes lighting up behind his glasses, "Yeah. I thought Glee might be a good idea... since, you know..." before she could say anything else, he changed course slightly, "I think I'm going to audition with the Beatles. What about you?"

"N-no id-dea." She said, and for some reason smiled about it.

"I'm sure you'll do great," he said as they reached the doors leading out to the car park. She held then open despite his insistence he could do it himself.

Making their way down the wheelchair ramp, he pointed out the car in the spot nearby as his dad's and she pointed which way she'd be walking home.

She turned slightly to leave, when she felt a tug on her bag strap. Turning back to him, she raised her eyebrow.

"See you tomorrow T-T-Tina C?" he smiled, a little nervously but relaxed when she laughed. She could tell he wasn't making fun of her.

"D-d-definitely!" she grinned and turned to make her way home, feeling, for the first time, a little bad about her fake stutter. Trying to shake it out of her mind she mused on what she knew about him. His name was Artie, he wore glasses, he like the Beatles. He was pretty cute.

Then suddenly, she remembered what her mom used to tell her. That what she needed was right around the corner.


End file.
